Friday, March 06, 2009

The Dharma Punx thing in Santa Monica on Monday was fun. I'm guessing between 0 and 3 of the 70+ folks who saw my talk there will show up at Hill Street Center tomorrow at 10am (see details on the link over to your left). We shall see...

I keep forgetting to mention my talk/book signing at Bodhi Tree Books in Los Angeles at 7pm March 12th. The address is: 8585 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood, CA 90026. It's free and open to the public.

Also, I'll be at the Dharma Punx place in Hollywood (they got more than Starbucks I tell ya!) leading zazen and talking on Sunday March 15th at 11am. See the post below for the link and other details.

Ventura College was loads of fun last night. Thanks to all who attended! The conversation kept drifting into Big Questions of Life, The Universe and Everything. That's understandable as it was the college's philosophy club after all. The problem with Ultimate Answers is that every last one of them, no matter who it comes from, is sheer speculation. Zen training seeks to get students out of the area of speculation and back to reality. So we don't really address those questions.

I'm a bad Zen teacher, though (as I know many people will vouch for). See, sometimes if you know a teacher very well, on rare occasions that teacher, when she is alone with you and no one else is looking, will indulge in such speculations. This is a very private thing. I've even had teachers openly deny the things they speculated on with me in private when I've brought them up in public. I, on the other hand, often speculate a bit too much in public. I need to stop that. Anyway, I doubt anyone takes me very seriously so it's probably OK. Just remember if you hear me speculating about those kinds of big questions I don't know my ass from a hole in the ground.

Here's a database of Buddhist comic book characters. It's a pretty sad crew, except for Bulletproof Monk. Wolverine gets tagged as a sometimes Buddhist, probably of the Sam Harris / Stephen Batchelor variety IMO. THe Shadow and Mandrake the Magician learned their magical arts in Tibet. It seems that in the minds of comic book authors Tibetan Buddhism and sorcery are one and the same.

"Why would you assume that the limitations within your area are shared by everyone? Seems like quite a speculation indeed."

What are you talking about????

I mean: to what issue is your point addressed? I'll take a guess that it's this: "Just remember if you hear me speculating about those kinds of big questions I don't know my ass from a hole in the ground.

And neither does anyone else."

Did you read the whole post? Are you aware of anyone who knows the 'answers' to the big questions - of life the universe and everything? I assume Brad means Qs like 'why are we here?' 'how did we get here?' and 'where are we going'?

I wouldn't have bothered with your comment, Floater, but having read some of your work on another blog, I somehow couldn't let it go.

To "Zinn", according to the Urban Dictionary:"To Zinn Ones Self, known to happen to guys who are not socialized and have females rub on them through their jeans, only to make them cum in their pants." OR

"Emily Zinn" - A sexy, beautiful, smart girlthat gets some when she wants someand DGAF's it all the time." OR

Perhaps Steph, employing a humorous stylistic device that she recently featured on this blog, is referring to those who practice Zen Buddhism - using a Joycean pun to simultaneously suggest and include those (all?) of us who are prone to sexual indulgence.

"Gudo's been pretty active and clear lately. he doesn't sound senile or on meds to me."

But you, Rich, like me, don't know Gudo Wafu Nishijima. Some who do know him very well, and have done so for a long time - not only James Cohen - say that he's not the same man at 90 as he was when he was 20-30 years younger. And they say that some of the recent changes have made relations with him difficult, even unpleasant. You like him and find his teaching useful. Great. So have I. But that has nothing to do with the real problems that people we don't know have with other people we don't know.

Louis CK is not a Zen teacher. Louis CK has not publicly accepted the responsibility of being a bodhisattva. He is funny. Jundo is no prude. I'm sure he thinks a lot of shit is funny. Brad, however, is no comedian. HE IS A ZEN TEACHER. THE LEADER OF DOGEN SANGHA. When he calls someone an asshole or tells them to fuck off it is not funny--there is a difference. It might even be entertaining in a perverse sort of way, but it is not funny.

Stefffffany needs to LET IT GO. Jundo hurt ums feelings . . . but let it go, for her sake and his.

The important point is that right now Gudo's written communications are clear and helpful.

you mean like this from Gudo's blog

At that time reading Master Dogen's interpretation, I have had much doubt whether it is inevitable for us, if we want to understand the meaning of Buddhism, is it actually necessary for us to utilize four kinds different philosophies to use, or not? Such a kind of doubt has occured in my mind so strongly.

But after having read Shobogenzo so many times, I have gradually begun to understand the necessity for us to think about all philosophical problems on the basis of The Four Noble Truth, or the Theories of The Four Philosophies, if we want to consider any kind of philosophical problem on the basis of Realism.

At that time - reading Master Dogen's interpretation - I had much doubt whether this is inevitable for us:

"If we want to understand the meaning of Buddhism, is it actually necessary for us to utilize four kinds different philosophies, or not?"

This strong doubt occurred in my mind.

But after having read Shobogenzo so many times, I gradually began to understand the necessity for us to think about all philosophical problems on the basis of The Four Noble Truths, or the Theory of The Four Philosophies, if we want to consider the Realism of any philosophical problem.

"I don't understand why you feel it necessary to defend Gudo. He can look after himself."

On many points, Gudo's thinking and mine are the same, so maybe I'm defending my self.

"you mean like this from Gudo's blog"

Yes, exactly. Once I was able to understand the 4NT's and the connection to the the 4 Philosophys, I felt I had a foundation of understanding of Buddha and a very real emotion of gratitude. I would reccommend reading "To Meet the Real dragon" when Gudo explained it all with the help of a translator.

"On many points, Gudo's thinking and mine are the same, so maybe I'm defending my self."

I think this is a very good point.

A lot of 'Internet Buddhism' seems to be about people advancing and defending aspects of themselves, which, to me, seems to stand in considerable contrast to the gist of the essential Buddhist practice (the real 'standard' of Buddhism as Master Dogen styled it...)

Oh, I'm as guilty as the next twat of course, but I thought it was a good observation is all.